Should REALTORS® Upgrade to Windows 10?
Have you been wondering if you should upgrade to Windows 10? I've spent the last 30 days or so using Windows 10. Microsoft has touted the benefits of upgrading and published many articles about the enhancements and usability of their latest generation operating system. I'll be the first person to tell you that when Windows 8 was released, the change was significant. It was so different from Windows 7 that even some tech savvy folks took some time to get their head around how it functioned. The interface was totally different—and don't get me started on the metro view and charms bar. Well, with Windows 10, I would say they got it right. Below is a summary of my experience with Windows 10 over the last month. Although different than Windows 7, the interface is clean and easy to understand. The start button has returned (albeit, it was available in Windows 8.1). In addition to the expected applications on the menu, there are also some dynamic applications and feeds to the right. Items can easily be pinned to the menu. I'm using a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 notebook/tablet. Jumping between tablet mode and desktop mode is very simple. I can quickly enable the onscreen keyboard and the system is intuitive enough to know that I've switched between the two options. The search capabilities have greatly improved. You're given a search option on the task bar that allows you to search your local machine and the web simultaneously. At first I didn't think this would be a functionality I would want, much less use. However, in the last month, I have definitely grown to like it.

Smarter Agent Available on All Carriers
CAMDEN, N.J., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Smarter Agent, a mobile technology company that provides GPS and MLS search applications to consumers and real estate agents, today announced general availability on all carriers, devices and platforms including key partnerships with Verizon Wireless and an application for the Android platform. Smarter Agent can already be found on wireless carriers Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile, reaching traditional cell phones as well as the iPhone and BlackBerry devices, making Smarter Agent the only company to have robust downloadable real estate applications on all major carriers for all US cell phones. The application is being downloaded at a rate of a new user every 1.5 minutes. "The addition of Verizon Wireless as a carrier and Android as a platform puts us in a unique position in the marketplace," said Brad Blumberg, CEO of Smarter Agent. "Consider that the iPhone reaches less than 9% of all mobile users, and that applications on Verizon are not necessarily available on Sprint, T-Mobile or AT&T. Selling homes is not as easy today as it was in the booms of the past and our application immediately gives real estate professionals a mobile marketing strategy to stay in sync with the Gen X and Gen Y homebuyers." "The Smarter Agent application with GPS gives me an edge, a non-obtrusive way for homebuyers to search on their own time," said John Badalamenti, CRS, Associate Broker for Prudential Fox and Roach, REALTORS®. "The 'Call to See' button— the ability for buyers to contact me directly to arrange a showing or ask questions about a listing, regardless of who listed the property—helps me to gain qualified leads and convert them into sales." For consumers, Smarter Agent's Homes for Sale application is a powerful tool for anyone interested in accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive real estate information. The application features three location-aware, including GPS-triggered, real estate searches in one easy-to-use application. Homes for Sale lets users search every public MLS listing in over 300 markets, more than any other real estate application available today. With Recently Sold Homes, consumers can see the prices of homes sold within the last three years, and Apartments for Rent offers a growing list of apartments from top websites like apartments.com. All three applications use Smarter Agent's patented property search technology to pinpoint the user's location and find available property listings in the immediate area with the touch of a button. Consumers can also search by address, community name, city or zip code. For the real estate sector, Smarter Agent provides agents and brokers with a mobile marketing strategy to help them stay in front of prospective homebuyers. Six out of ten homebuyers are aged 28-45, who are often early adopters of technology. Smarter Agent gives real estate professionals a customized and brandable application for their prospective customers to leverage. The application is distributed easily, with a text code that real estate professionals send directly to consumers. When the prospective customer uses the application to search and find a home, the calls to schedule an appointment go directly to the agent that provided them with the application. To view the original press release click here.